Qatar and Egypt at US behest threaten Hamas to go along with deal – WSJ

The authorities of Qatar and Egypt at the direction of the US administration have threatened Hamas leaders to impose restrictions against them if they do not agree to a ceasefire deal with Israel. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) newspaper, citing sources.

“In recent days, Qatar and Egypt have told Hamas leaders that they face arrest, asset freezes, sanctions and expulsion from their Doha hideout if they don’t agree to a cease-fire with Israel,” the WSJ piece said.

The newspaper’s sources said the “threats were made at the behest” of US President Joe Biden’s administration, which is looking for a way to persuade Hamas to make a deal.

WSJ noted that Washington’s efforts led to the opposite result: in Hamas said that they will not go for a deal that does not meet their conditions.

Recall, earlier, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that the plans of the Collective West do not include the creation of a sovereign state of Palestine. According to him, the West and the current Israeli leadership do not want the unification of Gaza with the West Bank of the Jordan River.